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The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is partnering with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) to support companies developing new commercial services combining S-100 universal hydrographic data with satellite Earth observation, communications or navigation information.
Turn your idea into a commercial opportunity
Through ESA’s S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model Thematic Campaign, companies can explore funding opportunities under Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS). The UKHO will provide relevant S-100 data licences free of charge to eligible projects seeking to secure a Cooperative Agreement with ESA.
The campaign invites ideas that address customer needs, from navigation and port operations to environmental monitoring, maritime security and other applications.
New possibilities for interoperable maritime data
S-100 was designed from the outset to support interoperability between different domains, providing a common framework for different types of hydrographic and maritime information. While its introduction is transforming navigation, its potential applications extend further. Combining S-100 data with satellite Earth observation, communications or navigation information creates opportunities to develop services for use beyond traditional navigational products for use on board vessels, in ports and ashore.
Space-enabled capabilities could include:
- Earth observation: Providing environmental information across wide areas, with repeat observations to complement hydrographic surveys and other data sources.
- Satellite communications: Supporting the delivery of information between ships and shore, including beyond terrestrial network coverage.
- Satellite positioning, navigation and timing: Providing location and time references to support accurate geo-referencing.
Potential applications include safer navigation, more efficient vessel and port operations, environmental monitoring, maritime security and automated systems. These are starting points: companies are encouraged to propose other commercially viable uses.
Explore R&D ideas and test commercial propositions
Tom Mellor, Head of Technical Partnerships at UKHO, said:
Body“The S-100 framework was always designed to support interoperability with a greater breadth of geospatial information. S-100 is a key enabler for safe navigation, but we want companies to consider what could be possible above and beyond navigation when hydrographic information is combined with space-based data and new technologies.
“By working with ESA to make relevant S-100 data available, we hope to give developers the opportunity to explore ideas, test commercial propositions and identify uses we may not yet have considered. We’re interested in the customer needs they could address and the services they could create. It’s also possible that through these R&D and proof of concept developments we might also see the IHO S-100 framework extended to support this new domain.“
As the maritime industry prepares for S-100 capability to become mandatory for new ECDIS installations from 2029, the campaign offers companies an opportunity to develop, pilot and validate services with early-adopter maritime customers.
Body“The maritime sector is undergoing a digital transformation, and the introduction of S-100 opens up exciting opportunities for space-enabled innovation.
“By combining the S-100 interoperability with satellite Earth observation, communications and navigation capabilities, we can unlock a new generation of maritime services that improve safety, efficiency and sustainability. Through ESA’s BASS programme, we want to support companies turn these opportunities into commercially viable solutions, working closely with maritime stakeholders to address real operational needs.”
Join the webinar on 18 November
Have you got an idea that could bring S-100 data and space-based capabilities together?
Join the ESA-hosted webinar on 18 November 2026 to explore the commercial opportunities, funding and support available through the campaign. ESA will explain how BASS could help companies develop and commercialise their propositions, while the UKHO will discuss how interoperable S-100 data could contribute.
Explore our S-100 datasets, data access arrangements and more details about the ESA campaign:
Explore UKHO S-100 data for ESA campaign
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